What a great excuse to share my afore-promised proposal story (sorry, I should say our - it couldn't have happened without him!!)
My husband had booked a restaurant for the weekend following my Thursday birthday. The previous weekend we'd been out as a large group to start the celebrations. I'd had a brilliant evening and was so excited for my actual birthday and our meal for just us two!
I remember feeling a little sad because a couple of people had forgotten my birthday so was on a bit of a downer!
On the Saturday, 5th October 2013, I wasn't sure what to wear. It's so frustrating when you don't know where you're being taken; do you dress up up or just up?! My hair didn't go right either and I remember feeling disappointed he was finishing work later that day than I'd anticipated.
I sound like a right moaning moaner! I love a surprise as much as the next person, don't get me wrong, but I do get frustrated and feel the need to know!
We arrived at the Magic Mushroom in Essex and he whisked me inside. Our table was just being set up so we were ushered, lady first, over to some plush arm chairs. We were handed a wine list and menu.
Once we had chosen and ordered what to eat, we were shown to our table.
My fillet steak was one of the nicest, but largest, pieces of steak I've ever had the pleasure of eating! It took me about 40 minutes to eat my meal!
For probably the first time in my life; I was so full up I was convinced I could not eat another thing! My husband was very insistent I have a dessert. I assumed this was so he didn't feel greedy having one himself! He said "just have some sorbet or ice cream"... Well, if I'm going to be talked into having a dessert; and there's a chocolate one on the menu - that's what I'm having! So chocolate terrine was what I ended up ordering.
Before I go on, let me just fill in something. For the whole of 2013 my husband kept saying "we're going to get married next year..." I truly thought we would book it and get married with no proposal; no engagement ring. He'd booked for the Sunday 6th October, the day after the meal, to view a venue. We had just sorted that we were moving in together later that month.
When my dessert came out, the restaurant were playing Bruno Mars' I Think I Want To Marry You. When I saw the plate which had what was to be my engagement ring perched on top of the terrine; my response was "oh you chose to do it like this - really good idea!" Wiped the chocolate off the ring with the napkin, finished what I'd been previously saying, whilst putting the ring on my finger! Everyone around us was looking! He had tears and took my hand. He said "so will you marry me darling?" And I realised I hadn't answered! Obviously it was a big fat YES! The lady next to me looked at me in disbelief as I picked up my fork to begin eating; she said "you have to take a picture!" So I did! Thank you fellow diner - you were right - I'm so glad I took that photo! My now-husband later told me he'd slipped the ring to a member waiting staff as I walked over to the arm chairs.
The waiting staff brought us glasses of champagne and I floated on Cloud 9 all weekend!
On the way home, my then-fiancé told me he'd booked a restaurant we'd both wanted to try for a long time. He'd explained his plan and they had agreed to assist this to happen. Less than two weeks before the 5th October, they phoned him to say they'd double-booked our table and had to cancel his. He explained this was to be my birthday meal and (hopefully!!) the night we got engaged, and asked for them to re-consider. They refused. The Magic Mushroom was so accommodating to his requests and more than happy to make his dream come true! I loved it so much there; I took him for our 'engagement anniversary' on 5th October 2014 when we were newly-weds!
